Sometimes, it's what you don't say that matters. When asked at Google's Big Tent Summit about when Google Now might show on the iPhone, the company's Eric Schmidt told a questioner that he'll "need to discuss that with Apple," and that there was no certainty Apple would approve what Google sent. Conspicuously non-committal? You bet -- but the statement also suggests that a Google Now release is just a question of whether or not Apple gives the thumbs up, not whether the iOS port exists at all. We'd add that the remarks sound eerily familiar. Schmidt was saying similar things about Apple's responsibility when he downplayed the odds of a stand-alone Google Maps release for iOS, and we all know how that turned out. Skip forward to about 17:50 in the video at the source link for Schmidt's own words.

Update: And the plot thickens. CNET is reporting that Apple hasn't received a Google Now iOS app submission as of yet. C'mon guys -- the queue can't be that long.

Update 2: Google is also chiming in with confirmation that it hasn't submitted Google Now to the App Store. Whether or not the app is real, it's not in a state that would reach customers.